Pope's health status: fair condition amid ongoing respiratory issues

Pope Francis was admitted to the hospital on Friday after his week-long struggle with bronchitis took a turn for the worse, leading to treatment for a respiratory tract infection, according to the Vatican. This marks another health challenge for the 88-year-old pontiff, prompting him to cancel his schedule at least until Monday.

Upon arriving at Rome's Gemelli hospital after conducting his morning audiences, Francis was reported to be calm, in good spirits, and had read some newspapers, as stated by Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni.

An evening update from the Vatican indicated that initial tests confirmed a respiratory tract infection, a mild fever, and that he was in "fair" condition while receiving drug therapy at Gemelli.

Francis had been experiencing breathing difficulties and was diagnosed with bronchitis on February 6, yet he continued to hold daily audiences from his Vatican hotel suite.

He led an outdoor Mass on Sunday and attended a general audience on Wednesday, although he had been delegating his speeches to an aide due to his breathing issues.

On Friday, he appeared swollen and pale during the few audiences he managed before his hospital visit. The swelling seemed to suggest that the medication for his lung infection was causing water retention.

Christopher Lamb, CNN’s Vatican correspondent, observed Francis at the start of an audience with CNN head Mark Thompson, noting that the pope was mentally sharp but had difficulty speaking for long periods because of his breathing problems.

Having had part of one lung removed in his youth, Francis has faced ongoing health challenges, particularly acute bronchitis during the winter months.

He relies on a wheelchair, walker, or cane to navigate his apartment and has recently experienced two falls, injuring his arm and chin.

Currently, he is receiving care at Rome's Gemelli hospital, where he was previously admitted in June 2023 for surgery to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair an abdominal hernia.

A few months prior, he spent three days at Gemelli receiving intravenous antibiotics for a respiratory infection.

He later disclosed that he was taken to the hospital on March 29, 2023, after experiencing a high fever and sharp chest pain.

He was diagnosed with what he described as “an acute and strong pneumonia in the lower part of the lungs.”

The Vatican announced that Francis was admitted to Gemelli following his Friday audiences.

Along with regular Vatican officials and Thompson, the pope met with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico that morning.

A Vatican statement indicated, "This morning, at the end of the audiences, Pope Francis will be admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic for necessary diagnostic tests and to continue treatment for ongoing bronchitis in a hospital setting."

While the Vatican did not specify how long Francis would be hospitalized, they later confirmed that he would not participate in Holy Year events through Monday.

The pope had a packed weekend planned, including an audience with artists visiting for the Jubilee on Saturday, a Mass for them on Sunday, and a visit to Rome’s famous Cinecitta studios on Monday.

A Vatican cardinal will lead the Mass in Francis' absence, and the other events were canceled “due to the impossibility of the pope to participate.”

At Gemelli, where popes have a private suite on the 10th floor, visitors expressed concern but remained hopeful.

Votive candles, some featuring Francis' image, surrounded the statue of St. John Paul II at the hospital entrance.

“I sincerely hope he recovers because no one deserves to suffer from such terrible illnesses,” said Nino Davi, who was also receiving treatment at Gemelli and had arrived earlier that Friday from Palermo, Sicily. “So I wish with all my heart that he gets better.”

The Vatican's announcement, made just before Francis' hospitalization, starkly contrasted with the way it communicated his 2023 hospitalization, which led to confusion.

Initially, the Vatican stated that he was admitted for routine tests, but the pope later clarified that the situation was much more critical, as he had been rushed to the hospital where pneumonia was diagnosed.

He received intravenous antibiotics and was discharged on April 1, joking as he left that he was “still alive.”

“Thank God I can share this story, as my body responded well to the treatment,” he later told the press.

In July 2021, Francis spent 10 days in the same hospital following intestinal surgery for a bowel narrowing.

He credited his personal nurse for saving his life by insisting he seek medical attention for the issue.

This was not the first time he acknowledged a nurse's role in his survival.

In his recent autobiographies “Hope” and “Life,” he recounted a near-fatal lung infection from his youth, attributing his recovery to an Italian nun named Sister Cornelia Caraglio.

“She was a knowledgeable and cultured woman who had taught in Greece, and she quickly recognized the severity of my condition: She called in a specialist who drained one and a half liters of fluid from my lungs. This marked the beginning of my slow recovery from the edge of death,” he reflected in “Hope.”

It was she who, after the doctor prescribed a specific dosage of penicillin and streptomycin, insisted on doubling it.

“She had both intuition and practical experience, along with remarkable courage,” he remembered. “My seminary friends visited me, and some even donated blood for transfusions. Gradually, the fevers subsided, and I began to see the light again.”

Francis survived, but during his treatment, he had to undergo surgery to remove the upper lobe of his right lung due to the presence of three cysts.